Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is concerned about the sad death of his co-star Dame Maggie Smith. The two starred in the Harry Potter series, where Radcliffe started his acting career. Smith died Friday at the age of 89 as a result of her long-term health problems.

Also read: Diddy ate chocolate strawberries from a naked woman at a high-profile party in Miami attended by Will Smith and Bruce Willis

Radcliffe mourns Smith’s passing

The 35-year-old actor reminisced about the first time he heard Smith would be his co-star. Radcliffe told Page Six in a statement Friday, “The first time I met Maggie Smith, I was 9 years old and we read scenes for David Copperfield, which was my first job,” on Friday. He admitted that he was not aware of his co-star or her work at the time. However, Radcliffe’s parents were “impressed” that he was keen to work with her on his debut film.

He recalled: ‘The other thing I knew about her was that she was a Lady, so the first thing I asked her when we met was, ‘Do you want me to call you Lady?’ to which she replied laughing and saying something similar along the lines of ‘don’t be ridiculous.'”

The Woman in Black actor recalled that he was “nervous” about meeting Smith, but was immediately put “at ease” by her with her words and presence. He told the media: “She was incredibly nice to me during that shoot, and after that I was lucky enough to continue working with her for another ten years on the ‘Harry Potter’ films.”

He described the Downtown Abbey star as a woman with a “fierce intellect” and a “gloriously sharp tongue.” Radcliffe added: “(Maggie) could intimidate and charm at the same time and was, as anyone will tell you, extremely funny.”

Radcliffe expressed his gratitude for the late actor, saying: “I will always consider myself incredibly lucky to have been able to work with her and spend time with her on set. The word legend is overused, but if it applies to anyone in our industry, it applies to her. Thanks Maggie.”

Also read: George Clooney can’t stop gushing over his wife Amal Clooney on the red carpet in New York

Harry Potter’s beloved Professor Minerva McGonagall

The late actor was part of all eight parts of Harry Potter, based on author JK Rowling’s fictional novels of the same name, playing the character of Professor Minerva McGonagall. Her family confirmed she died ‘peacefully in hospital’, but the cause of death has not been released.

Her sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin, who she shared with her ex-husband, Robert Stephens, released a statement saying: “It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith. She was an intensely private person and was ultimately with friends and family. They added that Smith’s sons and five grandchildren are “devastated by the loss of their special mother and grandmother.”

She was known for her role in Downtown Abbey, which earned her three Emmy Awards. She also won two Academy Awards, three Golden Globes and one Tony Award. In 1990, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Smith a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.